BAE Systems Unmasks Today's Cybercriminals - Singapore

13 Apr 20162016-04-13T06:40:20+02:00

Defence and security organisation shares insight into the world’s most dangerous digital criminals at its new office opening in Singapore

SINGAPORE, 14 April 2016 – BAE Systems today unveiled The Unusual Suspects: six types of cyber criminal behind some of the biggest threats to businesses. Based on the company’s expertise, defence heritage and deep understanding of the cyber landscape, these individuals represent the most common types of cybercriminals.

The Unusual Suspects research is launched in Singapore as BAE Systems expands its presence in the area with the opening of a brand new office.

“Businesses quite rightly fear cyber attacks – but few are able to identify the criminals behind them and how to better defend themselves. Yet the cyber threats faced by businesses today are not only created by machines but by people; living, breathing human beings.

“We developed The Unusual Suspects as an educational tool for organisations to gain a better understanding of the criminals they are up against online.”

Unmasking the Criminals

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report, Singapore-based companies described cyber attacks as their most feared risk for doing business in the country. According to the report, cyber attack is in the top six risks for businesses globally, cementing its position as a modern boardroom issue.

The Unusual Suspects is research built on expert analysis of thousands of cyber attacks on businesses globally to demonstrate the motivations and methods of the most common types of cybercriminals. Aside from exposing how these attackers cause harm to companies, it also includes practical advice on how organisations can protect themselves.

The six prominent types of cybercriminals as profiled by BAE Systems are:

The Insider – disillusioned, blackmailed or even over-helpful employees operating from within the walls of their own company;

The Mule – naive opportunists that may not even realise they work for criminal gangs to launder money;

The Professional – career criminals who work 9 to 5 in the digital shadows;

The Nation State Actor – individuals who work directly or indirectly for their government to steal sensitive information and disrupt enemies’ capabilities;

The Activist – motivated to change the world via questionable means;

The Getaway – the youthful teenager who can escape a custodial sentence due to their age.

“Though some of these profiles might seem more familiar than others, The Unusual Suspects aims to provide enterprises with a single, easily understandable resource on how they can defend their businesses from these cybercriminals,” added Vanell.

Reinforced Commitment to Business Defence in Singapore

BAE Systems also officially opened their brand new office to mark a new chapter of their presence in the region. This new facility was created to accommodate the company’s growing workforce of cybersecurity and technical experts, while also serving as a strong testament to their commitment to helping organisations in the region improve their business defence.

“As Singapore embarks on its Smart Nation push, the country will increasingly become connected with the rapid adoption of IoT devices and give rise to cyber threat exposure. Our office expansion enables us to move forward with our mission of helping companies defend themselves through efficient and effective business defence,” said Sanjay Samuel, Managing Director, JAPAC at BAE Systems Applied Intelligence.

At BAE Systems, we provide some of the world’s most advanced technology defence, aerospace and security solutions.

We employ a skilled workforce of 82,500 people in over 40 countries. Working with customers and local partners, our products and services deliver military capability, protect people and national security, and keep critical information and infrastructure secure.

At BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, we help nations, governments and businesses around the world defend themselves against cybercrime, reduce their risk in the connected world, comply with regulation, and transform their operations.

We do this using our unique set of solutions, systems, experience and processes - often collecting and analysing huge volumes of data. These, combined with our Cyber Special forces - some of the most skilled people in the world, enable us to defend against cyber-attacks, fraud and financial crime, enable intelligence-led policing and solve complex data problems.

We employ over 4,200 people across 18 countries in the Americas, APAC, UK and EMEA.For further information about BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, please visit www.baesystems.com/businessdefence